The emergence of global communication networks such as the Internet and major cellular networks has precipitated interaction between users and other network entities. Today cellular and IP networks are a principal form of communications, and a central means for interacting with other users for various activities. For example, a computing system interfaced to the Internet, by way of wire or wireless technology, can provide a user with a channel for nearly instantaneous access to a wealth of information from a repository of web sites and servers located around the world. Such a system, as well, allows a user to not only gather information, but also to provide information to disparate sources. As such, online data storing and management has become increasingly popular.
This has led to the development of an increasing number of applications designed to operate over an Internet (and/or World Wide Web) connection. Such applications can include functionality such as tracking personal finances by storing information regarding transactions, for example. Such data can include credit card transactions, bank account transfers, and general information such as account numbers, status, authentication used to gather data from a central bank repository, and the like. Accordingly, network users now have mechanisms for searching and or socializing on virtually any topic of interest. Such vast resource of information can also be an impediment for easily locating information as it continues to grow with no end in sight. This presents a formidable challenge when trying to find the information desired; or to locate other users who have similar points of interest.
An example of a network entity that provides social interaction around common subjects is the social network. Social network theory focuses on the relationships and links between individuals or groups of individuals within the network, rather than the attributes of individuals or entities. Generally, a social network can be described as a structure of nodes that represent individuals or groups of individuals (e.g., organizations). Social networking can also refer to a category of network applications that facilitate connecting friends, business partners, or other entities or groups of entities together.
In general, collaborative social networking websites enable users to create remotely stored profiles including personal data such as age, gender, schools attended, graduating class, places of employment, and the like. Such sites subsequently allow other users to search based on designated criteria and try to locate other users; such as finding a companion with similar interests or locate a long lost friend from high school. According to a further example, banking websites enable users to remotely store information concerning bills to be paid. Accordingly, users can automatically schedule bill payments from their bank account, which is then automatically debited when the payment is scheduled. Such allows simultaneous electronic management of account balancing and bill paying that mitigates manual tasks such as entering checks into the register of their checkbook. However, given the already vast amount of information available on such networks, increasing number of new data sources coming online and the differing types of data being provided, interacting with such services can become cumbersome.
For example, when retrieving large amounts of data from a web-service, inefficiencies can arise due to requesting all data at one time. This retrieval can heavily burden the associated servers or adversely affect operation of the network that transfers that data to requesting clients. Such can further complicate operation in web services (e.g., hosted by a web farm) when no persisted connection exists. This makes it more difficult to obtain consistent results, since a first request can be forwarded to one server, and subsequent requests for more data for the same query may be forwarded to a different server.